Clasp



(No Model.) S TUCKER,

CLASP. No. 295.310. Patented Mar, 18, 1884.

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SYDN BY D. TUCKER, OF TROY, NEW" YORK.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,310, dated March 18, 1884.

Application filed December El, 1853.

(No model.)

- resident of the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glaspsyand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

My invention relates to improvements in elasps adapted for use in supporting stockings and other articles of wearing-apparel; and it consists in providing a web-supporting plate with a stud and bifurcated spring, and suitable means for opening and closing the spring-arms.

The objects of myinvention are, first, to provide a clasp-plate to which the web may be easily and quickly attached; second, to provide suitable means for securing a stocking or other garment to a studded plate without injury to the fabric; third, to facilitate the operation of supporting clasps; fourth, to simplify and cheapen the construction of so ch clasps.

In the drawings I have represented by Figure 1 a plan View of a closed clasp; Fig. 2, a plan view of an open clasp; Fig. 3, a side view of an open clasp; Fig. 4, a plan View of a claspplate having the upper part out off at broken line so in Fig. 3, and showing web G partially inserted in the plate; Fig. 5, avertical section taken at broken line a; w in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a central longitudinal section of slide D, taken at broken line a: in Fig. 2; Fig. 7, a planyiew of the reverse side of the plate fullysecnred to theweb; Fl g. 8, a perspective View of clasp attached to, garment.

stud C. If a longer stud-post were used in a plate with a plane surface, more leverage would be'aftorded to crowd or pull the post out of a vertical position relative to the plate when in use. The plate is also provided with thehookk points 6 e and g at one end, and in the middle portion with the inwardly-projecting arms j which serve to hold the plate upon one end of the web G. The web is easily inserted by partially folding one end, so that the fold extends longitudinally of the web along its middle portion, and inserting the side edges of the web between the hooks e c, and flattening out the web again until the web occupies the position shown in Fig. 4. The hooks e c engage the web on the lower side, and the hook g on the upper side. The plate or clasp is then turned over, the web folded around the books 0 6, so that the fold extends transversely of the web, and inserted beneath the arms k, as shown in Fig. 7, where it is securely retained by said arms and the hooks. The web is easily inserted beneath the arms by longitudinally folding the same and inserting the edges between the ends of the arms in the same manner as between the hooks e e; or one edge orside of the web may be inserted first, and the web folded so as to insert the other side or edge. Such a form of construction permits the easy and rapid insertion of webs of different widths in the same clasp without danger of the clasp slipping upon the Web. The plate is also pro vided with a bifurcated spring, B, which may be eitherintegral with the plate or attached thereto. The spring has two arms, a and I), provided on their contiguous edges or sides, at or near their free ends, with the circular depressions c c, Fig. 2, and one of them with the struck up edge (1. The latter forms a thumb-rest, by pressing upon which the arms of the spring may be bent down to or near the plate A, the recesses c c permit-ting the ends of the arms to freely pass up and down past the head of the stud 0 when the arms are open, as shown in Fig. 2. 'XVithout the rest (Z the thumb of the operator would strike stud-head C before the ends of the arms were forced beneath it. The arms are also provided with a slide, 1), which is shown constructed of asin- .50 and permits of the use of ashorter post forthe gle piece of sheet metal. The ends of a fiat strip of sheet metal are bent together to form a clasp, which surrounds both arms of the spring, as shown,and is adapted to slidethereon and close the arms uponthe stud and prevent their spreading. Afront projecting piece, a, is bent upon itself, as shown in section in Fig. 6, and rests between the spring-arms, to force and keep them apart, being of sufficient width to spread the arms farthest apart at their free ends. It is evident, therefore, that by sliding the slide D back and forth upon the arms they can be made to open and close at. their free ends. The slide maydiave a projection, m, from its upper surface, to serve as a handle to operate the slide.

To attach the clasp to a stocking or other garment, it is only necessary to insert the garment in the space between the spring-arms and the head of the stud when the clasp is open, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, press down the free ends of the spring-arms below the head of the stud, and push the slide forward to the posi tion shown in Fig. 1, which forces the arms toward each other until their free ends occupy a position beneath the head of the stud. The spring then forces the ends of the arms and the projection 11 of the slide up firmly against the fabric, and securely retains the same between these parts and the head of the stud, as shown in Fig. 8. The fabric is thus secured on every side, and is not unduly strained in any portion, as has been the. case with stud-clasps heretofore constructed. The thumb rest d, projecting out from arm b, overlaps arm a when the arms are spread, as well as when they are closed,which prevents the fabric from crow ding up between the open arms when they are forced down upon it and below the head of the stud, as shown in Fig. 8. The arms a and 2) form clamps, which, when closed, crowd the fabric under the head of the stud on every side, as shown in Fig. 8.

It is of the greatest importance to bind the fabric on the sides of the stud nearest the weight to be supported as well as the remote sides, as such an arrangement transfers a large portion of the resistance to the fabric dle portion with the inwardly-projecting arms j 70, in combinationwitha mechanism,substantially as described, for attaching said plate to a garment.

3. A studded clasp-plate adapted to be secured to a piece of webbing, having that portion of the plate contiguous to the stud swaged up to occupy a plane higher than that of the general surface of the plate, in combination with a suitable clamping device, whereby a garment is secured to said stud, substantially as described, and for thepurposes set forth.

4. A studded clasp-plate, in combination with clamping-arms, and slide provided with a spreading device, a, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. A studded clasp-plate, in combination with a clamping-spring provided withathumbrest, (1, integral therewith, and suitable means for operating said spring, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

6. A studded clasp-plate, in combination with two clamping-arms provided with recesses 0 c and projection d, attached to one prong and overlapping the other, and suitable means for opening and closing said arms, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of December, 1883.

SYDNEY D. TUCKER.

Vitnesses:

GEO. A. MosHER, JOHN T. BOOTH. 

